Chucking a Ueee at Bourne End {Edited}

Friday (12th April) and we're settled in at Marlow for the weekend and decided to walk to Hurley Lock, there's a cafe there and we'd have a cuppa before returning home ... 

  passing Bisham Church over the river ...

 and approaching Temple Lock

 and footbridge which we need to cross as the towpath crosses over here to the other side of the Thames ...

but, oh dear, the bridge is closed as it is apparently unsafe.  There were diversion maps by the bridge but the only way to cross the river is from Marlow!  So we about turned and had a cuppa back on Still Rockin' instead. 

 Saturday morning was Marlow's weekly Park-Run, we watched them go by and return and that was enough exercise for us!  We spent the day doing boat jobs instead.

 Sunday morning dawned very cold at 0°c but the sun soon burned the mist away even though the temperature didn't rise above 9°.

 It was much warmer last night but this morning (Monday 15th) the wind was playing with us again ... as we untied the bow rope it started to blow us out into the river but there were no trees to get mixed up with today ...

 but we did have to use the piling to bump the stern along to start our turn downstream ...

 The bow moves away from the mooring and faces the huge house opposite

 and continues round until we're heading for ...

 Marlow Bridge ... and watch out for the young rowers

 Approaching the weir ... Marlow Lock is just in front of the houses in the picture and is on self service (no lockie on duty)

Usually locks have easy access from the landing where boats are tied up whilst waiting for the lock to be ready, but Marlow Lock doesn't ... George is currently tied onto Marlow's lock landing and the lock is to the right of the photo above where I'm standing.  Boaters have to initially need to drop off crew by the white post on the right and then reverse back onto the landing ... not an easy manoeuvre especially in a gusting wind! 

We've got 9 minutes to wait so I wandered about the lock with my camera

 I've picked a few apples from this tree over the years, today it's just coming into leaf and blossom.

 Lovely old houses by the lock

 Nine minutes are up, the lock is full, the gates are open and in she comes!

 The ramp onto the tailgate landing was very steep today which means that the river must be low. Apart from the wind George has to contend with the fast flow of water from the lock sluice

It's a shame this hire boat wasn't a few minutes sooner and I could have left the gates open for them

 These boats appear to have been on the lock visitor moorings for a while, the first and last boats were not displaying a license either.

A new build ... looks quite nice but rather large!

 We can see our destination for today in the distance but is there room for us?

The River Thames is a bit choppy today

Yes!  Loads of space ... we need to chuck a Ueee first though ...

Winding (using the wind to turn)

 Great views once we're moored up

 My very favourite house on the Thames

 A Coot's nest with eggs in the lake as we take a walk ...

 and end up at the Spade Oak for a drink outside ...

which became lunch inside ... Loverly!